This invention relates to the field of solar heating and collection systems and provides a new collection and storage device for collecting and retaining solar energy within the solar collector over a relatively long period of time.
It is well known in the solar heating art to utilize a solar collector to capture heat from the sun's rays. Typically, such captured heat is then moved by a heat exchanger to a second location where the heat is stored thereby resulting in some amount of heat loss during transmission. In most applications utilizing a solar heating system, it is therefore desirable to have a solar heating system which collects and stores the solar energy without the necessity of transferring the heat and utilizing a remote storage facility to store the captured heat.
The use of a solid material, such as rock, for the storage media is well known. U.S. Pat. No. 3,369,541 is indicative of rock being used as the storage media. Little emphasis has been placed, however, on the manner in which the rock is arranged and retained within the solar heater and collection system. Accordingly, it is desirable not only to provide a sufficient storage media for storing the solar energy but also to provide a container which reliably retains the storage media and facilitates maximum heat retention by the storage media.
A problem encountered by combined solar heaters and collectors of the prior art is that the interior rock within the solar collectors did not receive sufficient direct sunlight within the collector to permit the collector to fully utilize the internal heat storage capacity. U.S. Pat. No. 4,059,226 discloses a solar energy heat collector and storage chamber which utilizes an air circulation means and alternating baffle structure to heat the interior rock chamber. The major problem with a solar heater and collector as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,059,226 is that the solar radiation only impinges on the front face of the solar collector and the only means to transport heat to the interior rock is air circulation. Such a device does not fully utilize the potential solar energy storage capacity of the interior rock. It is therefore highly desirable to provide for a means by which the solar radiation has as direct an access as is possible to the interior rock so that the interior rock can attain its potential heat storage capacity.
With the above problems in mind, it is desirable to provide an improved combined solar heater and collection system which collects and stores the solar energy without the necessity of a heat exchanger to move the captured heat to a second location where the heat is stored.
It has also been found desirable to provide an improved combined solar heat and collection system which contains not only an inexpensive and effective storage media for storing the solar energy but also a housing which reliably retains the storage media while at the same time providing a system which easily transports the generated hot air within the housing for effective discharge.
It has further been found desirable to provide an improved combined solar heater and collection system which will allow for access of solar radiation to the interior storage media in as direct a manner as is possible so that the interior rock can realize its potential heat storage capacity.
The present invention is directed toward solving these problems and provides a workable and economical solution for them.